Positive Action in Housing Raises Concerns Over Home Office’s Plans to House Asylum Seekers on Cruise Ship in Leith

Positive Action in Housing, a Scottish homelessness charity that supports refugees and asylum seekers, has expressed concerns about the Home Office's plans to house asylum seekers on a cruise ship in Leith.

The charity has raised concerns about the well-being of vulnerable people who will be confined to tiny cabins and monitored by the Home Office and its subcontractors. Non-European non-white asylum seekers will be barred from working or getting resettlement support, and are given just £9 a week, which is considered inadequate to cover basic needs.

"The Ukrainians who were housed on the ship received a complete resettlement package, they have been welcomed by the local communities, and got help to claim support, find jobs and homes in real communities. In contrast, non-European non-white asylum seekers are likely to be stuck on the ship indefinitely with no viable move-on plan, and are still vilified," said a spokesperson for Positive Action in Housing.

The charity has called on the Home Office to allow asylum seekers to work, process asylum decisions quickly so people can move on, and provide more appropriate and humane solutions for housing asylum seekers so that people can move on with their lives and start to rebuild their lives in a safe and secure environment.

Positive Action in Housing has been supporting refugees and asylum seekers for over 25 years and has been advocating for policies that provide more appropriate and humane solutions for housing asylum seekers. The charity has urged the Home Office to reconsider its plans to house asylum seekers on a cruise ship and work towards providing more sustainable solutions that prioritize the well-being of vulnerable people.